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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. foot — a measure
  3. game — wild animals
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ball — a dance
  6. game — a match
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stem — to come from
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bound — certain
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. foot — the bottom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com